That “where did the wax go” question is so real. I’ve honestly just accepted that I’m probably eating at least a little bit of it every week, and if my ortho says it’s fine, I’ll try not to overthink it. The tissue trick never worked for me either—half the time I’d end up with bits of paper stuck in my brackets, which was just gross.
I also tried the silicone stuff and had high hopes, but it slid right off after a cup of coffee. Maybe it’s better for some people, but for me, regular wax is less hassle. One thing that helps a bit: after brushing at night, I dry the bracket with a corner of a towel (gently) and then put the wax on. It doesn’t always last through the night, but seems to stick a little better.
And yeah, I go through those packs way faster than expected too. No shame in asking for extra at appointments...I always do. At this point, as long as my cheeks aren’t shredded, I’ll take swallowing a bit of wax over waking up with raw spots any day.
That disappearing wax thing gets me every time—one minute it’s there, next thing I know, I’m wondering if I just ate it with my lunch. My ortho said the same, that it’s harmless in small amounts, but I still get a little weirded out thinking about it. Funny you mention the tissue trick... I tried that once and it was a disaster. Ended up with soggy bits all over my mouth. Never again.
Silicone didn’t work for me either. It always seemed like a good idea until I had coffee or even just talked too much and it slid right off. Maybe my mouth just runs too warm? Wax is definitely less annoying, even if I go through it way faster than they make it seem in those tiny packs.
I started using one of those little travel hairdryers (on cool setting) to dry around the bracket before putting wax on at night—sounds silly, but it actually helps it stick better. Anyone else notice the wax sometimes makes your cheeks feel puffy in the morning? I’ll take that over cuts, though.
Funny you mention the tissue trick... I tried that once and it was a disaster. Ended up with soggy bits all over my mouth. Never again.
That made me laugh—been there, done that, found tissue in my teeth hours later. Wax disappearing mid-meal is a classic too. I swear, half my wax ends up as a “secret ingredient” in soup. Cheeks do feel puffy sometimes in the morning, but I’ll take that over waking up with bracket-shaped battle scars any day. That hairdryer tip is genius, by the way—I’ve just been using my shirt sleeve like a barbarian.
Honestly, I never had much luck with the tissue trick either—my kid hated it, and I was picking out little shreds for hours. But I actually don’t mind the wax disappearing mid-meal as much? Maybe it’s just me, but as long as it keeps those sharp brackets from digging in overnight, I’ll take it. We started using those silicone covers instead of regular wax sometimes—they seem to hold up better through breakfast, at least. And yeah, mornings with puffy cheeks are no joke, but it beats the alternative.
- Tissue trick was a disaster here too—my son ended up with more tissue in his mouth than on the brackets.
- Wax is hit or miss for us. If it vanishes by lunch, I just shrug. As long as it gets us through the night without those “bracket battle scars,” I’m good.
- Silicone covers are a game changer, though. They don’t taste weird and seem to hang on longer, especially if you stick them on right after brushing (dry brackets = better grip).
- Puffy cheeks in the morning... yeah, that’s a whole mood. We keep cold packs in the freezer for those days.
- One thing I noticed—if you warm up the wax between your fingers for a few seconds, it molds better and stays put longer. Not perfect, but less crumbly mess everywhere.
- Honestly, I’d take some disappearing wax over those medieval bracket sores any day.
Can’t believe how much trial and error goes into something as simple as “don’t stab your mouth while you sleep.”